In India, the fashion industry has just begun to come of age. As it is still in its fledgling stage, it offers plenty of opportunities for enthusiastic, talented and hard working youngsters.

Prospects for fashion design graduates are pretty good thanks to the huge and still growing demand for “designer wear” and the equally large volume of exports.

What with the sheer variety and availability of materials – from traditional silks and ikats to jamawars and handlooms in vibrant weaves and dyes – India is a fashion designer’s dream.

Until a few years ago, there was not a single Indian name in the global fashion scene. However with the establishment of NIFT and some other fashion schools, a band of gifted designers is already making its mark on the fashion firmament. Today names like Ritu Kumar, Ritu Beri, Rohit Bal, Sunit Verma, JJ Vallaya and Tarun Tahiliani have virtually become household names – what with the media showcasing their talent across double-page spreads in glossy mags and sundry fashion-related programmes on TV.